A revisionist history of the ancient world that shifts our focus from Athens and Rome to the long-ignored societies on the borders.When Ovid was exiled from Rome to a border town on the Black Sea, he despaired at his bleak and barbarous new surroundings. Like many Greeks and Romans, Ovid thought the outer reaches of his world was where civilization ceased to exist. Our own fascination with the Greek and Roman world has for centuries followed this perspective, shrou...

Naval warfare is the unsung hero of ancient Greek military history, often overshadowed by the more glorified land battles. Owen Rees looks to redress the balance, giving naval battles their due attention. This book presents a selection of thirteen naval battles that span a defining century in ancient Greek history, from the Ionian Revolt and Persian Invasion to the rise of external naval powers in the Mediterranean Sea, such as the Carthaginians.Each battle is set in context. The backgroun...

Derek explains in some detail what led up to his bitter divorce in England and the doubts he had about moving to Thailand to be with the woman he had met on a Thai dating site.He describes what eventually made up his mind. But even then, there were times when he was unsure if he was making the right choice in getting involved with a Thai lady and living in a very different culture.There are many twists and turns in this true story of his first years in Thailand when he was ...

This book presents a selection of eighteen land battles and sieges that span the Classical Greek period, from the Persian invasions to the eclipse of the traditional hoplite heavy infantry at the hands of the Macedonians. This of course is the golden age of the hoplite phalanx but Owen Rees is keen to cover all aspects of battle, including mercenary armies and the rise of light infantry, emphasising the variety and tactical developments across the period. Each battle is set in context with...

This book is a collection of all 11 episodes of The True Story of a Welsh Godfather.

Thailand is known as the Land of Smiles. But never assume that smiles mean the same as they do in the West. Smiling is quite automatic in Thailand. A monk once told me that Thais were born with smiles on their faces!Matt Owens Rees discusses 13 different types of smile and gives examples from everyday life in Thailand. If you have observed any other type of Smile Matt would be keen to hear from you and will give you credit for your contribution.Look at the examples of these...

A Thailand Diary: volume 1 is the first in a series of easy-to-read diary entries of life in the Land of Smiles.Some entries are short, some entries are humourous, All are true descriptions of events which actually happened. Only names have been changed.48,000 words covering each day between I January and 30 June.You may sometimes be surprised at what you read. This is the Real Thailand. Through the book's pages you will meet Thais from all parts of...

A Thailand Diary takes you into the lives of ordinary Thais through its 365 entriesThailand Take Two is a comprehensive analysis of Thai lifestyle and culture over 10 chapters

A true and verified story of a ruthless Welsh Godfather, J.O.Williams, and his criminal activities. And how the mafia family he founded finally became legitimate under his grandson, my schoolboy friend, Johnny Illsley.

An inside look at a middle-class funeral in Northern Thailand, Cultural observations from behind-the-scenes

"End of a Life" is taken from one of the chapters of Thailand Take Two and describes the customs and traditions of a Buddhist funeral in the northern Thai province of Chiangmai. It was the most popular chapter of that book.In Thai social culture, death is seen as the final part of the life cycle. It is not a sad event. Everyone in the neighbourhood will attend the daily rites and the cremation. The deceased's family will provide food for all the mourners, who will respectfully take...

Matt has written this true account of the activities of a Welsh Godfather in collaboration with his childhood friend, Johnny Illsley. Neither knew anything of those activities until after Johnny's parents had died and personal letters of the Godfather, J.O.Williams, were available.Because the UK and Newfoundland governments were involved in J.O.'s activities in Port Hope Simpson, a new settlement in Newfoundland, and because there were other vested interests, not all the archive ma...